ON MARCH 27TH, APPLE INTRODUCED A NEW 9.7-INCH IPAD THAT OFFERS FASTER PERFORMANCE (WITH THE A10 PROCESSOR), SUPPORT FOR THE APPLE PENCIL, AND A FEW NEW CAMERA-RELATED FEATURES. THE COMPANY ALSO RELEASED NEW VERSIONS OF THE IWORK APPS—PAGES, NUMBERS, AND KEYNOTE—THAT LET USERS DRAW, SKETCH, AND WRITE WITH THE APPLE PENCIL.
At 1st glance, the 6th Gen iPad provides very slight upgrades over its immediate predecessor. In actuality, those differences are certainly evolutionary, but more significant than what we’ve read from online press reports.
SIXTH-GENERATION IPAD
For the most part, the new sixth-generation iPad is the same as the fifth-generation model it replaces. Its physical dimensions are unchanged, so existing cases and accessories should continue to work. It comes in the same three colors: silver, gold, and space gray. Even the pricing and options remain the same, with a 32 GB model starting at $329—the jump to 128 GB adds $100, and cellular capabilities add $130.
What sets the 6th Gen iPad apart from its predecessor is support for the Apple Pencil stylus, previously restricted to the iPad Pro line, which started at $649. Thanks to a high-resolution touch sensor in the iPad’s Retina screen and palm-rejection technology, you can now use the $99 Apple Pencil in compatible apps. As with the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil is sensitive to pressure and tilt so you can vary line weight and shading, much as with a traditional pencil.
Also new in the sixth-generation iPad is Apple’s A10 Fusion chip, with its embedded M10 coprocessor. The company claims that the new processors provide up to 40-percent faster CPU and 50-percent faster graphics performance.
The extra performance may also be related to the iPad’s new camera capabilities. Unlike the previous iPad, the sixth-generation iPad can take Live Photos and supports body detection in images along with the previously supported face detection. Also new is support for the Retina Flash feature that turns the screen into a giant flash when taking selfies.